The rumours circulating over Paul Pogba’s future have cooled recently.
The Frenchman has been linked with the likes of Barcelona and the destination of his former Juventus coach, Antonio Conte, Chelsea.
But in light of the Juve midfielder saying he is happy to remain at the Turin side, the chances of a potential summer move seem to be fading.
Pogba has been in great form again this year for the Old Lady, helping them to win their fifth Serie A title on the bounce.
Heading into a summer that sees his home nation host the European Championships, Pogba will be hoping for a starring role for Les Bleus and his stock could yet rise further.
Even if Pogba is the player of the tournament however, there are no signs he wants to leave Juventus and so the likes of Chelsea may have to look elsewhere.
This in mind, the Football Transfer Tavern brings you FIVE players Chelsea could go for instead of the 23-year-old…….
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PRESS THE IMAGE BELOW TO SEE THE 5 ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS!
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Radja Nainggolan
The Belgian midfielder has been in superlative form for Roma this season.
He has six goals in 41 appearances which whilst not on the level of Pogba is still a decent return for someone who is primarily used as a defensive midfielder.
The former Cagliari man can also play in a more advanced role, and whilst his contract is believed to run to 2020, he would still command a cheaper fee than that of Pogba.
Ilkay Gundogan
The Dortmund man has been a mainstay for his club this year, hitting three goals and providing seven assists in all competitions.
At the age of 25 the German is still yet to reach his peak and could prove to be one of the signings of the summer should Chelsea go for him.
With just a year to go on his contract Dortmund may be tempted to sell for the right offer, but there could be a question mark over his fitness for next season as he will still be sidelined with a dislocated patella.
Marco Verratti
The young Italian from PSG is beginning to reach his potential.
Another hugely dominant Ligue 1 campaign from the Parisiens saw the former Pescara midfielder make 18 league appearances, as his importance to side continues to grow.
He made five Champions League appearances this season and with 15 international caps too, Verratti looks set for the big time.
He signed a contract extension recently for PSG but if Chelsea can offer him more first team football, that he probably thinks he deserves, Verratti could be on his way to the Bridge.
Koke
Koke is an instrumental part of the Atletico Madrid machine.
Atleti have once again shown they can compete with the big two in Barcelona and city rivals Real, knocking the Catalans out of the Champions League on the route to the final.
But with a La Liga title challenge that has now been unsuccessful a lot rides on the result in Milan.
If Atletico lose their second Champions League final in three years, questions rightly or wrongly will be asked as to whether their best players can achieve what they want with the club.
Koke has five goals and a staggering 17 assists this year and might fancy joining the Chelsea revolution this summer if his efforts go without a trophy.
Ross Barkley
A player a bit closer to home than the rest of the midfielders in this list, Barkley needs to move to fulfil his massive potential.
Barkley’s career is beginning to stagnate at Everton who have had a campaign nothing short of awful, and whilst Barkley will want to remain loyal, the opportunity to lead Chelsea’s midfield may be too good to turn down.
The Toffees’ man has twelve goals and eleven assists to his name and could be an inspired acquisition if Chelsea went for him.
